Spring 2022 - 14

MILITARY
Body Mass & the Soldier's Fitness Level
By V. Hauschild, MPH, Army Public Health Center, Clinical Public Health & Epidemiology Directorate
T
..he Department of Defense recently
..updated its 20-year-old policy that
establishes body composition and physical
fitness standards for active-duty service
members to ensure optimal physical readiness.
The revised DoD Instruction 1308.03 states
all servicemembers " will maintain physical
readiness by possessing the necessary body
composition and aerobic and anaerobic fitness
... to successfully perform in accordance with
their service-specific requirements, missions,
and military specialties. "
The cornerstone of the policy is the body
fat standard that defines the acceptable body
14 | Tactical Training & Conditioning | Spring 2022
composition range for active-duty service
members. The percent of a person's body fat
(%BF) is a scientifically valid physical indicator
for assessing health status.
" Scientific evidence supports the same
military %BF standards as had been
recommended by the previous version of the
policy, " says Dr. Bruce Jones, a medical doctor
and chief scientist for the U.S. Army Public
Health Center's Clinical Public Health and
Epidemiology Directorate. " The policy update
clarifies how simpler measurements may be
used to estimate a service member's %BF, and
makes allowances based on fitness tests. "
Spring 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spring 2022
